Camper van novice.

Blockers68
Blockers68 Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited February 2019 in Introductions #1

Bought my first ever Camper Van at the end of the 2017 season. We only managed a few day trips out before winterising it. Tomorrow I collect it for our first overnight trip to Lake Conniston on Saturday, and I’m excited and terrified in equal measures. I’m reading the manuals and watching YouTube videos but as it’s parked on a secure site I’m not able to put any of it into practice. It’s either going to be a roaring success or a cold, hungry, smelly experience. 

Any advice as to how to prepare the van and make our first trip memorable for all the right reasons would be gratefully received.

Helen and Shane AKA I refuse to read manuals and will just wing it, how hard can it be Blockers. 

Comments

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2019 #2

    You  need   GAS  /  ELECTRICITY  /  Water  &  Containers /  cooking  Equipt  &  food  to  cook !! assuming  you  also  have  Bedding  etcetera  there   should  be  no  excuse  for  Cold/hungry/smelly  experiences.

    If  you  have  a  decent  fire  extinguisher  it  shouldn't  be  a ROARING  Experience  either  wink !!

    Now  get  out  there  &  start  enjoying  Yourselves,  That  is  an  ORDER  yell

    Best  wishes

    Let  us  know  how  you  get  on  laughing

  • rayjsj
    rayjsj Forum Participant Posts: 930
    500 Comments
    edited February 2019 #3

    If you have water/waste tanks, sterilize them, with some Puriclean, saves gippy tummy or smelly sink waste. Make sure your EHU electric hookup cable is a 25metre one, so it will reach the bollard.

    Have a great time! 

  • Blockers68
    Blockers68 Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited February 2019 #4

    Off to collect it imminently and really grateful for the advice so far. Noticed I’d put bought in 2017 when in fact it should have been 2018. It’s taken 5mths to get to this point not 17! Think the trick is to keep it simple initially and build on that which each trip. Fingers crossed I’ll be reporting back an absolute success rather than a resounding disaster. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant, Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 17,345
    10,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited February 2019 #5

    Welcome blockers. You‘ll soon learn the ropes, and campsites of all kinds, Club/ none Club, small or large are usually very friendly places, so don’t hesitate to ask for any help. If it’s a Club Site, the Wardens are usually wonderful in terms of helping out if you do meet with any problems. 

    Most of the essentials have been mentioned. It’s all about being as comfortable, warm and safe as you can make your campervan. It sounds not overly large, so don’t make the mistake of packing too much and living in clutter. Fingers crossed this marvellous Yorkshire weather stays with you, and hope you have a great trip. 😁

     

  • bandgirl
    bandgirl Club Member Posts: 441
    100 Comments
    edited February 2019 #6

    Have a great time.  Hopefully all will go well but, if it doesn’t, don’t worry.  We started out with a motor caravan, then changed to a caravan because it suits our style of holiday better.  From day one we encountered at least one problem on every trip- sometimes the lights wouldn’t go on, the water pump wouldn’t work, the jockey wheel fell off, got stuck down narrow lanes.  In the early days we shared a motor caravan with the in-laws, so the van wasn’t always in the condition we’d have liked when we took it out. 

    There was a time we would go out expecting something to go wrong.  You name it, we’ve done it.  At the end of the day we loved it so much that we kept going back for more and, 12 years on, we do manage a few trouble free trips.

    Good luck 😊

Categories